It was a solid day at Caulfield yesterday for our analyst RePete. With his top picks he hit the board in 6 out of ten races including the last 5 races in a row - which would have taken top prize in the Twinspires 5-for-5 competition - with 3 winners. He also picked up some nice results on his second picks (2 winners, 2 minor placings), 3rd picks (1 winner, 2 minor placings) and his three fourth picks (1 win, 1 minor placing) to help out exotics players. Below shows the table of results for his picks yesterday followed by their number, finishing position and official starting price.
1 Tender 9 X $21
Sea Spray 4 1st $4.25
Bella Capri 5 X $11
2 Careless 6 3rd $6
Liberation 10 X $9
Petrology 7 X $12
3 Lady Macan 4 X $8.50
Tears of Joy 11 X $26
Set Square 8 1st $7.50
Maastricht 3 2nd $1.90
4 Kumaon 1 X $3.75
Fontein Ruby 12 1st $13
Bachman 3 X $8
5 Manawanui 3 X $8
River Lad 1 X $13
Leebaz 6 X $5.50
6 Sweet Idea 3 1st $3.50
Catkins 4 3rd $4
Diamond Drille 1 X $26
7 Contributer 2 1st $7.50
Kingdoms 5 X $10
Signoff 9 3rd $5
8 Miracles of Life 4* 1stDH $7
Pago Rock 6 X $31
Shamal Wind 7 3rd $6
9 Rising Romance 16 2nd $12
Lucia Valentina 15 3rd $4
Who Shot TheBarm. 11 X $11
Lidari 14 X $8.50
10 Cradle Me 4 2nd $6
Anatina 3 X $2.10
Lonhruge 10 X $100
Messina Nymph 11 1st $5.50
All the horse racing short cuts
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Friday, October 17, 2014
Convergence is the key to handicapping tonight's tough Caulfield Cup card
It can be difficult enough for the American player taking on a competitive card of Australian racing on just any regular wagering day. But the Caulfield Cup, Australia's second biggest race by prizemoney and one of the world's premier mile-and-a-half turf events, and its competitive undercard this Saturday (Friday night U.S. time) offers its own unique set of wagering challenges.
Luckily, this blog's Australian-based form analyst (let's call him RePete, because he tends to do that) has decades of experience handicapping just about every track in Australia and even beyond. He's been steadily tracking the progress over the past few seasons of every horse that matters on Caulfield's card today and not much has evaded his vigilance. Let's hand it over to him.
The track
Caulfield is generally known as a track that favors pace-pressers and stalkers because of its tight turns and short final stretch - 2 furlongs. The general rule is a horse needs to be in the first four around the turn to have a reasonable chance of winning. However, there are some exceptions to this rule, as we will see. Sometimes the track has a daily bias but this depends on how far out the rail is set - the further out, the less bias. Track bias doesn't usually change from race to race. Racing begins at 9:50 p.m. Eastern Time.
Race 1
The David Hayes-trained TENDER (No. 9) is a nice play at a decent price ($11 overnight) in the opener, the 7-furlong Yellowglen Plate for 3-year-old fillies. Hayes brought her in from Adelaide with a good two-year-old record in better company than this back in the (Australian) autumn and the stable are very strong shippers. Add in SEA SPRAY (No. 4) and BELLA CAPRI (No. 5) - both promising fillies at around $8-9. Pick: 9-4-5
Race 2
Sydney import CARELESS (No. 6) is a lightly-raced maiden trained by the Godolphin Stable's in-house trainer, John O'Shea, and arrives for the listed Crown Lager Stakes for 3-year-old colts off two solid on-pace efforts in Sydney. He's good value at $7 overnight and the stable knows when to bring them to Melbourne. Behind that it's very open - maybe add LIBERATION (No. 12) at around $10 and PETROLOGY (No. 7) at $15 overnight to juice exotics. Pick: 6-10-7
Race 3
The first leg of the Pick-3 is the listed Ethereal Stakes over 1.25 miles for 3-year-old fillies and Sydney shipper LADY MACAN (No. 4) looks good at the $8-9 mark. She ran a strong fourth last start against the colts at Randwick (Sydney) to Hampton Court, who has held his form well, and Lady Macan returns to her own sex today. Longshot TEARS OF JOY (No. 11) should be suited by the extra two furlongs here and could hit the board at 30/1. Add SET SQUARE (No. 8) at 10/1 and the overbet favorite MAASTRICHT (No. 3) to exotics. Pick: 4-11-8-3
Race 4
If Maastricht does well in the previous race, watch the market on FONTEIN RUBY (NO. 12) in the G3 1.25-mile Caulfield Classsic from $12 overnight price. She narrowly beat that colt at G2 level last start at Flemington (Melbourne) and drops in grade today. That said, the $4 favorite KUMAON (No. 1) - whose fast-closing effort last week at G1 level was a great trial for today's race - is the one to beat here. Add BACHMAN (No. 3), another Sydney shipper from the astute stable of Gerald Ryan, a former Melbourne jockey, to your exotics. Pick: 1-12-3
Race 5
Yet another Sydney shipper looks good in the 7-furlong Moonga Stakes. MANAWANUI (No. 3) took significant money overnight into about $6 for several reasons - he has a great strike rate (7 from 19), is proven at the class and loves this distance. Add Queensland shipper RIVER LAD (No. 1) at around $8 - his second-up 4th to the outstanding Chautauqua was a strong pointer to this race and he won the G1 Stradbroke Handicap in Brisbane over the winter. The favorite LEEBAZ (no. 6) is first up from a five-month spell so watch the money there. Pick: 3-1-6.
Race 6
Tough to call the G2 Tristarc Stakes for mares between Gai Waterhouse-trained SWEET IDEA (No. 3) and CATKINS (No. 4), both around $3.50, but leaning to the former. She is coming off an excellent fourth to Trust in a Gust last start at Caulfield and has speed to burn. The latter is an ultra-consistent mare who has hit the board 20 out of 25 lifetime starts - a great play for 5-for-5 show backers. Add the other Waterhouse-trained DIAMOND DRILLE (No. 1) at a juicy $17 overnight - she won a G1 stakes last autumn and the stable is known for picking up big races with second-stringers. Pick: 3-4-1
Race 7
The ultra-consistent CONTRIBUTER (No. 2) at about $5 looks the one to beat in the G3 David Jones Cup over 1.25 miles. Having his first start in Australia and first overall since June but his first-up record in England was four starts for three wins and he's very well-bred, by High Chaparral. Key him over Brisbane invader KINGDOMS (No. 5) at around $9 overnight - he came to Sydney for a strong-finishing fourth at G1 level last start. The drop-back from 1.5 to 1.25 miles today should suit favored SIGNOFF (No. 9) at around $5. Pick: 2-5-9
Race 8
Our best bet of the day is in the G2 5.5-furlong Caulfield Sprint: Adelaide speedster MIRACLES OF LIFE (No. 4). This outstanding 4-year-old mare is returning to the scene of her greatest triumph as a 2-year-old in the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield and has taken significant overnight money from $12 into around $8. She is coming off a strong autumn campaign in Adelaide and I expect her to lead all the way today and run them off their legs. Key her over PAGO ROCKS (No. 6) which could bob up at around 15/1 and don't leave the favorite SHAMAL WIND (No. 7) out of exotics. Pick: 4*-6x7
Race 9
The G1 Caulfield Cup (2400 meters/1.5 miles), worth $3 million, is one of the world's great mile-and-a-half races and a true staying test now that that the European invaders have started setting the pace. Punters this year favor another mare to win the Cup in the shape of LUCIA VALENTINA (No. 15). Her form is excellent but she's too short at 5/2. I prefer the other lightweight mare RISING ROMANCE (No. 16) - she had a G1 victory over Lucia Valentina in the AJC (Sydney) Oaks over this distance in April and is currently at a juicy $17. We'll add Sydney-sider WHO SHOT THEBARMAN (No. 11) at around $20 and LIDARI (No. 14), yet another lightweight chance at around $10 for the exotics. Pick: 16-15-11-14
Race 10
Looking for something to beat the 8/5 favorite ANATINA (No. 3) in the last race, the 5.5-furlong listed Alinghi Stakes for fillies and mares, I've landed on another Sydney invader. CRADLE ME (No. 4) is a very consistent mare coming off a 3-month lay-off but has excellent first-up form and has hit the board in fully half of her 30 starts so looks a good play in the 5-for-5. She's about $5.50 overnight. Let's drop a real bomb for the minor money with 60/1 pop LONHRUGE (No. 10), an inconsistent galloper who has shown ability in the past and is still fresh. If that's too rich for you, try adding the well-traveled MESSINA NYMPH (No. 11) at around the $7 quote. Pick: 4-3-10-11.
Good luck and see you next week for Cox Plate day at Moonee Valley.
Luckily, this blog's Australian-based form analyst (let's call him RePete, because he tends to do that) has decades of experience handicapping just about every track in Australia and even beyond. He's been steadily tracking the progress over the past few seasons of every horse that matters on Caulfield's card today and not much has evaded his vigilance. Let's hand it over to him.
The track
Caulfield is generally known as a track that favors pace-pressers and stalkers because of its tight turns and short final stretch - 2 furlongs. The general rule is a horse needs to be in the first four around the turn to have a reasonable chance of winning. However, there are some exceptions to this rule, as we will see. Sometimes the track has a daily bias but this depends on how far out the rail is set - the further out, the less bias. Track bias doesn't usually change from race to race. Racing begins at 9:50 p.m. Eastern Time.
Race 1
The David Hayes-trained TENDER (No. 9) is a nice play at a decent price ($11 overnight) in the opener, the 7-furlong Yellowglen Plate for 3-year-old fillies. Hayes brought her in from Adelaide with a good two-year-old record in better company than this back in the (Australian) autumn and the stable are very strong shippers. Add in SEA SPRAY (No. 4) and BELLA CAPRI (No. 5) - both promising fillies at around $8-9. Pick: 9-4-5
Race 2
Sydney import CARELESS (No. 6) is a lightly-raced maiden trained by the Godolphin Stable's in-house trainer, John O'Shea, and arrives for the listed Crown Lager Stakes for 3-year-old colts off two solid on-pace efforts in Sydney. He's good value at $7 overnight and the stable knows when to bring them to Melbourne. Behind that it's very open - maybe add LIBERATION (No. 12) at around $10 and PETROLOGY (No. 7) at $15 overnight to juice exotics. Pick: 6-10-7
Race 3
The first leg of the Pick-3 is the listed Ethereal Stakes over 1.25 miles for 3-year-old fillies and Sydney shipper LADY MACAN (No. 4) looks good at the $8-9 mark. She ran a strong fourth last start against the colts at Randwick (Sydney) to Hampton Court, who has held his form well, and Lady Macan returns to her own sex today. Longshot TEARS OF JOY (No. 11) should be suited by the extra two furlongs here and could hit the board at 30/1. Add SET SQUARE (No. 8) at 10/1 and the overbet favorite MAASTRICHT (No. 3) to exotics. Pick: 4-11-8-3
Race 4
If Maastricht does well in the previous race, watch the market on FONTEIN RUBY (NO. 12) in the G3 1.25-mile Caulfield Classsic from $12 overnight price. She narrowly beat that colt at G2 level last start at Flemington (Melbourne) and drops in grade today. That said, the $4 favorite KUMAON (No. 1) - whose fast-closing effort last week at G1 level was a great trial for today's race - is the one to beat here. Add BACHMAN (No. 3), another Sydney shipper from the astute stable of Gerald Ryan, a former Melbourne jockey, to your exotics. Pick: 1-12-3
Race 5
Yet another Sydney shipper looks good in the 7-furlong Moonga Stakes. MANAWANUI (No. 3) took significant money overnight into about $6 for several reasons - he has a great strike rate (7 from 19), is proven at the class and loves this distance. Add Queensland shipper RIVER LAD (No. 1) at around $8 - his second-up 4th to the outstanding Chautauqua was a strong pointer to this race and he won the G1 Stradbroke Handicap in Brisbane over the winter. The favorite LEEBAZ (no. 6) is first up from a five-month spell so watch the money there. Pick: 3-1-6.
Race 6
Tough to call the G2 Tristarc Stakes for mares between Gai Waterhouse-trained SWEET IDEA (No. 3) and CATKINS (No. 4), both around $3.50, but leaning to the former. She is coming off an excellent fourth to Trust in a Gust last start at Caulfield and has speed to burn. The latter is an ultra-consistent mare who has hit the board 20 out of 25 lifetime starts - a great play for 5-for-5 show backers. Add the other Waterhouse-trained DIAMOND DRILLE (No. 1) at a juicy $17 overnight - she won a G1 stakes last autumn and the stable is known for picking up big races with second-stringers. Pick: 3-4-1
Race 7
The ultra-consistent CONTRIBUTER (No. 2) at about $5 looks the one to beat in the G3 David Jones Cup over 1.25 miles. Having his first start in Australia and first overall since June but his first-up record in England was four starts for three wins and he's very well-bred, by High Chaparral. Key him over Brisbane invader KINGDOMS (No. 5) at around $9 overnight - he came to Sydney for a strong-finishing fourth at G1 level last start. The drop-back from 1.5 to 1.25 miles today should suit favored SIGNOFF (No. 9) at around $5. Pick: 2-5-9
Race 8
Our best bet of the day is in the G2 5.5-furlong Caulfield Sprint: Adelaide speedster MIRACLES OF LIFE (No. 4). This outstanding 4-year-old mare is returning to the scene of her greatest triumph as a 2-year-old in the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield and has taken significant overnight money from $12 into around $8. She is coming off a strong autumn campaign in Adelaide and I expect her to lead all the way today and run them off their legs. Key her over PAGO ROCKS (No. 6) which could bob up at around 15/1 and don't leave the favorite SHAMAL WIND (No. 7) out of exotics. Pick: 4*-6x7
Race 9
The G1 Caulfield Cup (2400 meters/1.5 miles), worth $3 million, is one of the world's great mile-and-a-half races and a true staying test now that that the European invaders have started setting the pace. Punters this year favor another mare to win the Cup in the shape of LUCIA VALENTINA (No. 15). Her form is excellent but she's too short at 5/2. I prefer the other lightweight mare RISING ROMANCE (No. 16) - she had a G1 victory over Lucia Valentina in the AJC (Sydney) Oaks over this distance in April and is currently at a juicy $17. We'll add Sydney-sider WHO SHOT THEBARMAN (No. 11) at around $20 and LIDARI (No. 14), yet another lightweight chance at around $10 for the exotics. Pick: 16-15-11-14
Race 10
Looking for something to beat the 8/5 favorite ANATINA (No. 3) in the last race, the 5.5-furlong listed Alinghi Stakes for fillies and mares, I've landed on another Sydney invader. CRADLE ME (No. 4) is a very consistent mare coming off a 3-month lay-off but has excellent first-up form and has hit the board in fully half of her 30 starts so looks a good play in the 5-for-5. She's about $5.50 overnight. Let's drop a real bomb for the minor money with 60/1 pop LONHRUGE (No. 10), an inconsistent galloper who has shown ability in the past and is still fresh. If that's too rich for you, try adding the well-traveled MESSINA NYMPH (No. 11) at around the $7 quote. Pick: 4-3-10-11.
Good luck and see you next week for Cox Plate day at Moonee Valley.
Horrific falls a risk of horse racing: Lest we forget the Caulfield Cup, 1885
For those of us who follow horse racing in the U.S. and Australia, it's been a tough week with three promising young jockeys killed in race falls - two in Australia and one in the U.S. Debate has begun in both countries over whether training tactics or jockey riding strategies are placing jockeys' lives at risk.But we need to recall some of the pragmatics of the sport we love
Those of us with long memories remember a time when horrific jockey injuries and deaths were almost considered par for the course in a sport with millions of dollars worth of private and public money on the line. And we recall a time when young jockeys entering the sport were thought of as akin to young men joining the military. They received room, board and an opportunity to learn a trade from the masters with the possibility of a very comfortable living and a satisfying retirement. In return they were going to be asked, every so often, to put their lives on the line.
Every time the jockey dons his or her silks, picks up his whip and heads for the mounting yard they bring to mind a soldier donning his uniform, strapping on his gun and falling in. Sure, it will probably be the same old, same old. Obey the orders do what you're told, follow the rules, everything will be fine. But maybe not. For Juan Saez, Caitlyn Forrest and Carly-Mae Pye this week, it wasn't. And three young lives were lost.
But this week is an aberration. We have had long periods of no jockey fatalities despite the huge number of horse races run each day around the world, and we will have more. And its easy to fall into the trap of thinking that it's never been this bad.
I recently discovered an account of one of the most horrific racetrack accidents in all of Australian horse racing that occurred 129 years ago to this race day, in front of the packed grandstand of the Caulfield raceourse in the Caulfield Cup of 1885. Here's the link to a report from the day of the fall in the now-defunct Melbourne Argus.
An excerpt:
"M'Grade, who had been on Tom Brown, looked very ghastly. His nose was broken in, one arm hung loosely and what with dust and blood and his white face, those around thought that he also had been killed outright. M'Grath, the rider of Prince Imperial, was also senseless, having received a blow on the head when his horse rolled over. The tiny rider Tuomey was stretched alongside his dead horse, Uarah, who had been instantly killed, and at first it seemed that both horse and jockey were in the same condition. Com- miseration for the tiny boy lying on one end of the stretcher was greater on account of his small size. Wyman, the rider of Sardius, was one of the first down, and as a dozen horses seemed to roll right on top of him his escape from instant death was a miracle. He, too, was picked up unconscious, suffering from concussion of the brain."
Today is Caulfield Cup Day, 2014. Let's give thanks to how much safer the sport has become. Lest we forget.
Those of us with long memories remember a time when horrific jockey injuries and deaths were almost considered par for the course in a sport with millions of dollars worth of private and public money on the line. And we recall a time when young jockeys entering the sport were thought of as akin to young men joining the military. They received room, board and an opportunity to learn a trade from the masters with the possibility of a very comfortable living and a satisfying retirement. In return they were going to be asked, every so often, to put their lives on the line.
Every time the jockey dons his or her silks, picks up his whip and heads for the mounting yard they bring to mind a soldier donning his uniform, strapping on his gun and falling in. Sure, it will probably be the same old, same old. Obey the orders do what you're told, follow the rules, everything will be fine. But maybe not. For Juan Saez, Caitlyn Forrest and Carly-Mae Pye this week, it wasn't. And three young lives were lost.
But this week is an aberration. We have had long periods of no jockey fatalities despite the huge number of horse races run each day around the world, and we will have more. And its easy to fall into the trap of thinking that it's never been this bad.
I recently discovered an account of one of the most horrific racetrack accidents in all of Australian horse racing that occurred 129 years ago to this race day, in front of the packed grandstand of the Caulfield raceourse in the Caulfield Cup of 1885. Here's the link to a report from the day of the fall in the now-defunct Melbourne Argus.
An excerpt:
"M'Grade, who had been on Tom Brown, looked very ghastly. His nose was broken in, one arm hung loosely and what with dust and blood and his white face, those around thought that he also had been killed outright. M'Grath, the rider of Prince Imperial, was also senseless, having received a blow on the head when his horse rolled over. The tiny rider Tuomey was stretched alongside his dead horse, Uarah, who had been instantly killed, and at first it seemed that both horse and jockey were in the same condition. Com- miseration for the tiny boy lying on one end of the stretcher was greater on account of his small size. Wyman, the rider of Sardius, was one of the first down, and as a dozen horses seemed to roll right on top of him his escape from instant death was a miracle. He, too, was picked up unconscious, suffering from concussion of the brain."
Today is Caulfield Cup Day, 2014. Let's give thanks to how much safer the sport has become. Lest we forget.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Rolling back coupled entries rolls back insurance, trust
Bashing horse-racing's oft-maligned coupled-entry rule is getting increasingly popular amongst horse players. But rules can also be like cops - never there when you need them.
Take a recent example at Santa Anita racetrack in California (see replay below). Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert had two horses - second favorite Fed Biz and longshot Sky Kingdom - entered in the Grade One Awesome Again Stakes (purse $300,000) up against red-hot favorite Shared Belief, who looked unbeatable. From the break, Sky Kingdom's jockey Victor Espinoza took the very unusual move of running his horse in the 4-wide lane around the long first turn, pushing Shared Belief 5- and 6-wide. Shared Belief was forced to come from several lengths behind after covering significant extra ground to beat Fed Biz by just a neck.
Many horseplayers drew the conclusion - rightly or wrongly - that Baffert had given Espinoza instructions to do as he did, hoping to make the race easier for his first-string horse, Fed Biz. With no proof of this, only Espinoza was punished for his actions. But race replays gave bettors on Sky Kingdom the distinct impression that their money never had a chance.
The coupled entry rule is supposed to head this off. Two horses entered by the same connections in the same race always gives punters the impression that one might be trying help the other. But without the coupled-entry rule, which is which? Realizing this dilemma, racetrack officials con-joined those horses for the betting public in recognition that punters needed to be compensated if they bet the 'wrong one' in the couple.
However, the rule has become unpopular with both the racing establishment and even horseplayers themselves. The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) voted to eliminate coupled entries in 2006, leaving connections free to enter more than one horse in any race, each as a separate betting entity. Other states have followed or are considering it, while still others have been rolling back the rule by exempting graded stakes races. Plus, existing state-by-state coupled-entry rules often apply only to owners, not trainers.
But without the coupled-entry rule, bettors must figure out which of the owner's - or trainer's - multiple entries is the one 'supposed' to win. With the rule, they get a kind of free insurance that covers the risk of not being party to pre-race discussions, albeit at a reduced price. But that can also be a huge help when betting mulitple plays in the horizontal exotics, which many of us do.
For example, if Sky Kingdom had been coupled with Fed Biz in the Awesome Again, bettors on Sky Kingdom would have saved thousands of dollars collectively on outright place and show bets - plus exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets that combined him with other place-getters - by substiting Fed Biz. Sure, the payout would have been less - but most bettors are prepared to accept the insurance on such wagers. They don't want to have to double their stake by 'bracketing' uncoupled entries from the same connections.
Then there's the bigger issue of public trust. Unwitting newcomers who bet on Sky Kingdom might never make another wager on a horse race again out of sheer disgust. Experienced players were shocked at the egregiousness of the tactics employed and might well begin questioning the results of other top events, too.
That would seem to be exactly what racing doesn't need. Opponents of eliminating coupled entries often claim it will increase a track's betting handle by making more betting choices available. But at what cost? Ask the average joes who dropped some hard-earned on Sky Kingdom in the Awesome Again.
Incidents like this seem to point to the need for tightening coupled entry rules, not further loosening. But on that, horse-racing administrators appear to be sitting in the squad car eating donuts.
Take a recent example at Santa Anita racetrack in California (see replay below). Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert had two horses - second favorite Fed Biz and longshot Sky Kingdom - entered in the Grade One Awesome Again Stakes (purse $300,000) up against red-hot favorite Shared Belief, who looked unbeatable. From the break, Sky Kingdom's jockey Victor Espinoza took the very unusual move of running his horse in the 4-wide lane around the long first turn, pushing Shared Belief 5- and 6-wide. Shared Belief was forced to come from several lengths behind after covering significant extra ground to beat Fed Biz by just a neck.
Many horseplayers drew the conclusion - rightly or wrongly - that Baffert had given Espinoza instructions to do as he did, hoping to make the race easier for his first-string horse, Fed Biz. With no proof of this, only Espinoza was punished for his actions. But race replays gave bettors on Sky Kingdom the distinct impression that their money never had a chance.
The coupled entry rule is supposed to head this off. Two horses entered by the same connections in the same race always gives punters the impression that one might be trying help the other. But without the coupled-entry rule, which is which? Realizing this dilemma, racetrack officials con-joined those horses for the betting public in recognition that punters needed to be compensated if they bet the 'wrong one' in the couple.
However, the rule has become unpopular with both the racing establishment and even horseplayers themselves. The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) voted to eliminate coupled entries in 2006, leaving connections free to enter more than one horse in any race, each as a separate betting entity. Other states have followed or are considering it, while still others have been rolling back the rule by exempting graded stakes races. Plus, existing state-by-state coupled-entry rules often apply only to owners, not trainers.
But without the coupled-entry rule, bettors must figure out which of the owner's - or trainer's - multiple entries is the one 'supposed' to win. With the rule, they get a kind of free insurance that covers the risk of not being party to pre-race discussions, albeit at a reduced price. But that can also be a huge help when betting mulitple plays in the horizontal exotics, which many of us do.
For example, if Sky Kingdom had been coupled with Fed Biz in the Awesome Again, bettors on Sky Kingdom would have saved thousands of dollars collectively on outright place and show bets - plus exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets that combined him with other place-getters - by substiting Fed Biz. Sure, the payout would have been less - but most bettors are prepared to accept the insurance on such wagers. They don't want to have to double their stake by 'bracketing' uncoupled entries from the same connections.
Then there's the bigger issue of public trust. Unwitting newcomers who bet on Sky Kingdom might never make another wager on a horse race again out of sheer disgust. Experienced players were shocked at the egregiousness of the tactics employed and might well begin questioning the results of other top events, too.
That would seem to be exactly what racing doesn't need. Opponents of eliminating coupled entries often claim it will increase a track's betting handle by making more betting choices available. But at what cost? Ask the average joes who dropped some hard-earned on Sky Kingdom in the Awesome Again.
Incidents like this seem to point to the need for tightening coupled entry rules, not further loosening. But on that, horse-racing administrators appear to be sitting in the squad car eating donuts.
U.S. horse racing needs cameras in stewards' rooms
Each day, horse-racing stewards - the judges, juries and executioners of our sport - make decisions at tracks that can affect hundreds of thousands - even millions - of dollars of wagering money. They hear protests from jockeys, launch inquiries of their own and collect evidence from all sides. They listen, weigh, decide and sometimes overturn race results that can turn winners into losers and vice versa.
All in secret.
No cameras, no microphones, no way of verifying the stewards' rulings, no recourse. The result is a sense of mistrust and - occasionally - even outright disbelief. U.S. horse-players are for the most part still recovering from the shocking non-disqualification of Bayern for causing massive interference at the start of America's premier race, the Breeders Cup Classic, more than a week after it happened at Santa Anita racetrack in California.
The worst part of it is: we don't know what happened in the stewards' room after the race was run. Did Bayern's trainer, Sanat Anita-based Bob Baffert, telephone the Santa Anita stewards in the midst of deliberations as he has previously? Did the stewards discuss Bayern's previous race habits? Was the decision unanimous? Were American race-goers who bet on the favorite Shared Belief robbed?
In the land that invented live legal television news with the groundbreaking CourtTV in 1991, that's just not good enough. CourtTV pioneer Steven Brill, who also founded American Lawyer magazine, understood that the public couldn't retain faith in a criminal-justice system that kept its most important process - the criminal trial - largely hidden from public view. So he set up cameras and micophones in courtrooms and broadcast it on television, creating an American phenomenon.
As Wired magazine journalist Jeff Goodell wrote in a 2003 interview with Brill: "Court TV destroys the wall between society and its laws, making reporters and jurors of us all."
So it goes with horse-players. In the 21st Century, we all have to be our own jurors and reporters. And so a sector like racing that exists on open information cannot function effectively with a judicial system that resembles a Freemasons' meeting. Heck, even Congress telecasts its deliberations, for better or for worse. American horse-racing needs to do better.
If that sounds hard, consider the situation in Australia. There, all proceedings involving decisions that could theoretically overturn a race result are broadcast and aired live over the track feed. No more guessing what the stewards are accusing the jockey (or trainer) of or what kind of defense they are mounting. It's all out there, and the bettors love it - as the Twitter feeds of American players who have discovered Australian tracks will attest.
The idea was so good that the British adopted it in 2007 and it is now a standard feature of their race broadcasting as well.
American horse-players are now starting to advocate for more openness in the sport. Let's start by imitating the Australian model and broadcasting all stewards-inquiry deliberations live over the track feed. It's good for the players and good for the sport. More openness in the system means more confidence amongst the customers, and that's good for everybody's business.
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